Talib Kweli Quotes
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The problem with our role is Americans live in a world of illusion.
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Hip-hop is a vehicle.
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I think hip-hop is no more misogynistic than America is as a society. I just think hip-hop is a lot more brash, a lot more bold, a lot more loquacious. There are a lot more words that go into a hip-hop song than go into a regular song.
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We're in an illusion about what our role is in world politics and foreign affairs, and our policies are killing and destroying and doing a lot of things that we are not aware of.
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We commute through computers. Spirits stay mute while our ego spread rumors. We're survivalists turned to consumers
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Woman are complex creatures.
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Honestly, you have to take care of yourself. That's probably something I have learned on the road.
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You gotta eat right, you gotta have healthy habits, you know, and balance out your decadence with a healthy lifestyle during the day.
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So I think hip-hop is moving and is going to continue to move in the direction of rappers just being honest with themselves, whether you're talking about Common and Mos Def or Nas and 50 cent.
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I think people are into me because of my music choices and my musicality.
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What's more condescending and corny than someone telling you how much more money they have than you and telling you basically, 'I don't care about poor people,' which is a large part of what you hear of corporate hip-hop on the radio.
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Things are fluid in this world, and if you don't remain fluid, you get lost in the sauce.
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I'm not looking to set a standard... but, I believe I have offered a challenge to others with my work.
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When I look at the arc of my career, my focus is on lyricism, right? I own that.
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You know, there's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type of struggle.
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The way I see it, if people truly love my music, they will support me in some way down the road.
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When I'm in the studio, I'm strictly thinking about the beats, the rhymes and the song. The decision I make once the songs are created, and there's a barcode put on the package, and I'm out there in the street selling it, those decisions as a businessman are different than the creative decisions you make.
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At exactly which point do you start to realize, that life without knowledge is death in disguise?
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That's what hip-hop is: It's sociology and English put to a beat, you know.
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But it becomes disrespectful when the artist's process is not respected.
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Life is a beautiful struggle People search through the rubble for a suitable hussle Some people using their noodle Some people using their muscle Some people put it all together make it fit like a puzzle
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My personal take on politics is I deal with social situations and cultural situations in my music and in my life. I have said on record many times that I haven't voted. I'm not the type of person who says, 'I'm never going to vote.' I think it's clear to me that our system has failed us.
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I take certain steps to make sure I'm relevant artistically. I always have new music and a reason to be on the road. I'm not just playing 'Get By' over and over. I have 12 albums.
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As far as being on a major label, some labels get it and get what they have to do, and some labels don't. I don't think the label I'm on necessarily gets it, but I think over time they're gonna have to.